Recent Meal Highlights From The Last Few Days

I’ve had some problems with my site this week in terms of logging in so if you have experienced issues loading the blog too, I do apologize.

Just a few food photos to share but really, is any week that different from the week before? I mean, maybe just a little this time around as I don’t have a slice of pizza to showcase today.

I do have last night’s pizza bagel that I made on a bialy though.

I chose to do take out from The Cheesecake Factory the other evening even though we can now dine both indoors and outdoors at the location in my area. However, I did walk into The Cheesecake Factory to place the order. And then I waited by the mall (which is open now too!) until it was ready for me to walk back in to pick it up. This entire statement seems so weird but it’s totally normal right now. Like, if I read what I just said last year or even six months ago, I would be wondering WTF is she talking about. Why are you saying I walked in to place an order and walked back in to pick it up? Who knew such a simple task would become the biggest deal?!

Here’s one of my at-home salad creations. I eat a variation of this salad basically every day.

This salad involved lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, and onions with roasted sweet potatoes and a chopped up Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger. Oh, and I added asparagus too.

Last week I mentioned that I have been enjoying the Trader Joe’s miso vegetable and brown rice kit. I had it again the other night but I think I’m slightly moved on from the stir fry and salt craving I was having last week. That’s what’s nice about cravings. You eat what you are in the mood for and then the feeling passes.

I cut up my first watermelon of the season just in time for my boardwalk run over the weekend. Normally I would be on my tenth watermelon to cut by now but I’m SO OVER cutting up fruit. I just don’t have the process in me anymore, or at least not on a weekly basis.

In fact, I thought who I was cutting up a watermelon and minimizing the mess from the rinds and watermelon juice on the counter…until the pyrex I was going to put the watermelon in cracked all over the kitchen floor. I then had the glass from the broken container to clean up too.

I need to buy new travel food containers. I’m pretty sure the last time I did a kitchen clean out, I got rid of all containers I wasn’t using and now look for them to use.

What I Ate Wednesday 1.25.17

 

It’s Wednesday already! I tend to say things like that when I miss a Tuesday post because missing a post in my  normal schedule really throws me off.

Let’s take a look at what I ate on Monday!

Breakfast:

I thought about having an English muffin with peanut butter for breakfast but ultimately went with oatmeal, both before and after my run.

This is the messy, before my run bowl of oatmeal, which always involves banana (and chia seeds cooked in) too. My post-run bowl was equally as ugly only that bowl had frozen blueberries and peanut butter added to the mix.

Shortly after getting my son to school, I packed up my things (as in my computer) and headed over to my friend Dina’s house for the day. We really like to work together at least once a week and Monday’s are usually it.

Lunch:

Dina made us such a nice, big salad for lunch. She even had it ready early for me since she knows I tend to get hungry.

There was watermelon for me too. 🙂

Dinner:

I am completely indifferent to dinner lately. There’s nothing I really feel like eating or cooking although lately I have been in the mood for spicy flavors. I added sriracha to my plate of roasted potato wedges, broccoli and a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger.

Dessert:

I am still off apples! Isn’t it funny how we can eat the same thing every day for years and then one day, just stop?

Right now, I have no set night-time snack during the week like I did when I lived on apples and peanut butter.

Some nights I make plain popcorn. You know, the kind where you pop the kernels in a brown lunch bag in the microwave? I wrote a post about how to do this SO LONG AGO. Here it is if you missed that popcorn post.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today for WIAW!

[bctt tweet=”What I Ate Wednesday! #oatmeal #WIAW #popcorn #salad #drpraegers ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

What have you been craving (or not craving) lately?

Do you make microwave popcorn in the brown lunch bag too?

What are you packing for lunch today if you bring your lunch to work?

WIAW – Lots of Sea Salt & Salad

Jumping right in to what I ate yesterday!

Breakfast:

Pre-Run: Coffee, water, small bowl of oatmeal with mashed banana.

There’s nothing more satisfying to me than my post-run oatmeal especially when served in an almost empty peanut butter jar. Remember a few months ago when I sort of fell off the peanut butter wagon? Well, that was short-lived.

This peanut butter jar contains cold, cooked oatmeal mixed with frozen blueberries, diced strawberries, Skoop B-Strong (my favorite plant-based protein powder), almond milk and some peanut butter.

Oh, and lots of sea salt. I don’t even mean a pinch of sea salt, I mean A LOT of sea salt. Several good shakes.

The hotter and more humid the air during my runs (which seems like every single day this summer), the more salt I add to my post-run breakfast to get my electrolytes back to balanced.

I briefly mentioned last week in my review of Laura’s Master Your Fueling & Hydration E-Course that I didn’t even realize I had been walking around on a daily basis in a dehydrated state, with an electrolyte imbalance.

Adding some serious shakes of sea salt to my food, especially post-run, has made a huge difference in how I feel this summer after running.

I no longer walk around thirsty with the inability to quench the feeling.

I don’t feel as light-headed (I am sort of always a bit light-headed when I stand up but that’s just me in general with low blood pressure. But after running, especially after running hard/long in the summer, I feel noticeably better).

I am less headachy after hard workouts. And, if I feel a headache after a workout that won’t go away following breakfast, I eat again (something with sea salt) which usually takes it away.

I can tolerate caffeine better after a workout. It was getting to the point where I couldn’t drink coffee at all post-run without feeling extremely dizzy but that hasn’t happened as frequently since upping my salt intake.

I am rarely bloated and never have stomach issues anymore after a long run. My stomach used to be so finicky in the hours after hard/long runs but having balanced electrolytes seems to be all I needed.

You would think that salt would do the opposite, that it would bloat you, but that is not always the case. The body actually does need salt to function properly so when you hear all of those news claims that say you should limit salt in the diet, that may not be the best or smartest option for you.

There is so much more I can say about electrolytes and hydration but this is a what I ate Wednesday post so instead of me rambling, I am going recommend you check out my review of Laura’s e-course and consider signing up for it to learn more about proper fueling and hydration. Not everyone is the same when it comes to fueling and hydrations needs so it’s important to figure out what works for you personally. 🙂

Lunch:

My son is still on a kick of going to all of his favorite food places now that he is back from camp. I had no complaints when he asked to go to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. I can always eat my favorite salad.

Dinner:

I had some romaine lettuce to use up in the refrigerator so I made a salad that involved the ingredients of the Power Salad recipe I shared recently with the addition of lentils too. I had made another batch of lentils and quinoa this week so basically every meal I make at home will involve the combo until I finish it.

In the salad:

• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Roasted cauliflower
• Roasted sweet potato wedges
• Lentils & Quinoa
• Chopped romaine lettuce
• Feta cheese

I diced a granny smith apple and dipped the slices quickly in the peanut butter jar while hustling my son out the door to practice last night. Being a mom is all about multi-tasking!

I snacked on watermelon at random times yesterday too. Stew Leonard’s had watermelons on sale for $2.88 this week but the one I bought wasn’t as good as usual. I think watermelon season may be coming to an end shortly which makes me sad.

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today!

[bctt tweet=”Lots of sea salt in my diet plus what I ate yesterday! #WIAW #salt #hydration #cheesecakefactory #watermelon #running @healthyskoop #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

What are your symptoms when you know your electrolytes are off/you are dehydrated from your workouts?

Has the watermelon been iffy by you lately?

What was for dinner last night?

What I Ate Wednesday 8.10.16

 

My site statistics are showing that someone googled, “I was so busy today that I forgot to eat,” somehow landing here at my blog for guidance.

I like to think that I am an understanding person and friend but not when it comes to food. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

How are you so busy that you forgot to eat? How does that happen? Explain please.

I don’t think I have ever been too busy to remember to eat. My stomach reminds me.

Anyway.

It’s What I Ate Wednesday so let’s take a look at what I ate yesterday…

Breakfast:

I made my first cup of coffee while preparing oatmeal for the rest of the week. I had a small amount of oatmeal with half of a banana before going outside to run a bunch of miles.

I felt like switching up my usual post-run oatmeal with autumn oatmeal even though it’s not autumn. I called this recipe autumn oatmeal last year because I made it with sautéed apples. It’s really quick and easy to throw together so don’t let the sautéed apples part scare you away.

Lunch:

The morning flew by in a flash but at some point while working I decided to prepare a batch of lentils and quinoa to have on hand for meals this week.

I added the lentils and quinoa to a big salad for lunch which also included roasted sweet potato wedges, roasted brussels sprouts, plum tomatoes and feta cheese. Slightly different salad from the Power Salad recipe I shared on Friday – I am good at making various yummy salads!

Dinner:

Okay so the salad for lunch was so good that I made it again for dinner and didn’t take a picture. This is what happens more often than not – I repeat my meals not only every day but multiple times a day.

Especially with my son away, I do a limited grocery shop each week since he isn’t home and I don’t always eat at home which means the variety of foods in the house is kept to a minimum.

So long as there are the long-shelf life foods in the pantry (like beans and lentils) and I have my food staples such as sweet potatoes, apples, peanut butter, oatmeal and a couple of vegetable choices, I am set.

Dessert:

I am still on the warmed apple slices kick topped with peanut butter, a drizzle of Trader Joe’s Midnight Moo and Trader Joe’s Muesli.

I ran a bunch of errands last night and one of those errands involved picking up a watermelon. I love cutting up watermelon mainly because I can eat it while I slice it!

I love that it’s Wednesday already by the way. I am not trying to rush away the rest of summer but I am all about rushing the week so it can be the weekend. 🙂

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today!

[bctt tweet=”What I ate yesterday! #WIAW #meals #oatmeal #salad #eats #fitfluential #traderjoes” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How often do you repeat meals in the same day?

What are your food staples that you must have in the house at all times?

2 things:

Don’t forget to check out my Quick and Easy Plant-Based Stir Recipe  for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card

and

If you missed my review yesterday of Mastering Your Fueling And Hydration E-Course, go read it because there’s a great discount code available!

Monday in Meals (WIAW)

I had gotten myself a little too busy working on Bar Mitzvah stuff over the last several days rather than working on a post for yesterday so if you were wondering where I was, there’s the answer. In fact, should I continue to randomly miss my normal posting days between now and October 15th, that will most likely always be the reason why.

You are probably tired of hearing about the Bar Mitzvah just as much as I am tired of planning it but this is my life right now. I am really getting down to the nitty gritty parts of the planning which is overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. I am looking forward to the party, of course, but I am also looking forward to when it is over so I can have some of my brain space back.

So it’s Wednesday already but we are going to look at what I ate on Monday.

My friend Dina and I both work for the same company (which I am pretty sure I have told you in the past) and since we both work remotely (or from the city office on occasion) we mixed things up on Monday by working from my house as if we were an office.

It was nice to set up our laptops at my kitchen table and work independently yet together for a change!

Breakfast:

I had my usual pre run oatmeal and coffee followed by oats in a jar after my run. I really need to stop using my almost empty peanut butter jars during the week because I really do like to save them for after my long runs on the weekend but I just couldn’t help myself.

Dina arrived shortly after I ate and we snacked on watermelon during the morning while we worked.

Lunch:

I can be so lazy in meal preparation but I wanted to put together a nice salad for us so we didn’t have to go out to eat. I have been eating out way too much and honestly, I am quite capable of making a salad that is much better than any restaurant.

I call it the Power Salad.

In the mix:

Roasted cauliflower

Roasted sweet potatoes

Roasted grape tomatoes

Quinoa

Feta Cheese

Avocado

This Power Salad does not need dressing. The flavor of the roasted vegetables combined with the feta cheese and avocado reduces any desire for additional flavor or texture.

Roasting your grape tomatoes will really heighten their flavor. Trust me, do it.

Dinner:

I picked up a spaghetti squash while I was in Stew Leonard’s so I roasted it along with some vegetables. Topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, it’s a perfect vegetarian meal.

Dessert:

I have gone back to warming up my diced granny smith apple in the evening and then topping it with the following:

Peanut Butter

A sprinkle of Skoop B-Strong

A drizzle of Midnight Moo

Trader Joe’s Muesli

It’s cooler than usual outside this morning (67 degrees) so I am looking forward to running a few easy miles before some Pure Barre. Have a great Wednesday. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Monday in Meal #WIAW #salad #vegetarian #oatmeal #Skoop #mitzvahplanning #watermelon” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today and oh, in case you haven’t entered the $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway yet, click here to learn more about my Quick and Easy Plant-Based Stir Fry recipe which also contains the giveaway information!

Who else works from home? What do you usually make yourself for lunch?

Which ingredients do you like to combine to make your idea of a power salad?

Are you running today? What’s on the workout agenda?

 

 

What I Ate Race Day (plus race recap)

 

I thought it would be fun to combine Monday’s 4 mile race recap with What I Ate Wednesday!

I ran the Bellmore Independence Day 4 mile race on Monday. It was my second time running this race with my first time being back in 2012.

The race was scheduled to start at 8:30 am which is a super late run time for me, especially in the summer.

I had coffee and water early in the morning along with half of a banana mashed into a small amount of oatmeal.

On the way to the race, I had another banana plus water mixed with Nuun.

I ran two warm up miles prior to the race start. I ran one mile at home before leaving for the race to get a feel for the weather and then another mile once I arrived at the race.

The temperature was right around 80 degrees with bright sunshine and no shade. The line for the porta potties was insane so I didn’t complain when the race start was delayed 20 minutes.

My dad came to watch me run so he was able to hang out with me prior to the start.

Fun fact: My dad used to run this very same race every year.  I grew up in Bellmore so this is an extremely local race!

I really liked what I wore for this race.

• lululemon Run Swiftly Short Sleeve
• lululemon Sun Visor
• lululemon Pace Setter Skirt
• Pro Compression Marathon socks
• Adidas Energy Boosts
• Sunblock!

I definitely had on the ugliest pair of running shoes at the start line though. One day maybe Adidas will decide to only make nice color combos for their Energy Boosts. It’s rare that I am able to get a good color when I get a new pair of Boosts.

Anyway, the race.

My plan going into this race was to try to hold consistent with my half marathon pace, not a 5k race pace. I wanted to run comfortably fast but I also realized it would be extremely hot which can definitely slow me down. I was not trying to hold back to only go faster later on and I didn’t want to sprint or speed up at any point.

I just wanted to feel well enough to push a bit, consistently if I could, without overdoing it.

The first mile was tight yet I clocked in at 7:15. Although I actually felt great and was super surprised at how fast I was moving according to the race clock, I told myself to slow the heck down because that is way too fast of a pace for me in the hot weather.

I was definitely feeling the heat. Although it was a flat race course, there was not an ounce of shade and the sun was beating down.

I am not a warm weather race runner nor am I a short distance race lover, that’s for sure.

Mile two felt the longest. I think short distance races can play with your head. Mile two in a half marathon tends to go pretty fast for me since it’s more like the warm up part of a race.

There were water stops at every mile mark and I grabbed a cup at each one. I didn’t swallow much of the water but I did pour it on me to try to cool down. Did I mention it was hot out there?

The approach to the finish line felt like forever. I saw my dad right in front which was great because he was able to take my picture.

I figured I would most likely PR in this race as I am a much stronger runner than I was back in 2012 when I first started taking running seriously.

My official finish time (not adjusted): 31:37. About two minutes faster than 2012.

Average pace: 7:54.

I came in 7th for my age and 134th overall (there were 600 runners).

As soon as I stopped running, I continued to walk while grabbing two bottles of water, drinking one and dumping the other bottle on my body < – that’s how you know it was really hot, I don’t normally do things like this.

I recalled loving this race for the watermelon at the finish line. I thought about the watermelon throughout the four miles and couldn’t wait to have several pieces!

I came home to eat my post-run favorite meal: cooked oatmeal served cold mixed with cherries, berries, Skoop B-Strong, almond milk and muesli. Pretty sure I added peanut butter too.

My legs felt great after the race, as if I didn’t just run a race at all, but the heat does have an effect on me. I felt cold for quite some time (especially after my shower) and I was completely unable to drink coffee for the rest of the day. I get dizzy easily and coffee can make me dizzy after running in the heat, even after rehydrating.

I was also all screwed up meal timing wise since the race was so late. We were headed to the Mets game for a 4:00 pm start so before leaving, I ended up making another oatmeal/muesli bowl which I guess became my lunch.

I recently bought a new muesli from Trader Joe’s and I am obsessed.

I packed up a meal to bring with me to the Mets game.

Usually I get pizza or sushi at Citifield but I didn’t feel like either option. I have been on a veggie burger kick so that’s exactly what I brought. I was seriously craving a Dr. Praeger’s veggie burger on an Ezekiel roll with tomato and avocado.

Only problem was that the Ezekiel rolls that I pulled from the fridge were moldy! Ugh, totally my fault, I should have known to freeze them.

Instead, I put the veggie burger in a container with tomato, avocado and brown rice. At the Mets game, I added sauerkraut and the sautéed onions from the toppings bar.

My son and I shared candy at the game. I love that Citifield has the candy bins!

It was a beautiful evening for a baseball game. I caught myself cheering for the Mets though when they made a good play. Remember, I am a Yankees fan. I need to stop going to so many Mets games this season!

Be sure to check out what everyone else is eating today. 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Independence Day race recap plus WIAW! #running #race #wiaw #mets #citifield #muesli #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How do you feel about short distance races/races in the summer?

Favorite snack to get at a sporting event?

Do you like muesli?

Surviving Summer As A Runner

 

It takes me some time to adjust to running in the warmer temperatures but overall, I just love running this time of year!

There are certain adjustments I need to make to my routine though during the warmer months and factors I need to consider both when running and not running in order to survive summer as a runner.

1. Sun Exposure.

Running outdoors for prolonged periods of time in the summer really isn’t the best for the skin, even with sunscreen.

So what can we do to protect ourselves aside from finding a shadier path or running earlier or later in the day?

Choose Short Sleeves Instead of Tank Tops.

Run Swiftly short sleeve shirts offer me a drop more protection from the sun, protecting my neck, chest, back and shoulders, even better than a sunscreen can.

Since the material is sweat wicking, I am not hot and really don’t notice the difference between running in short sleeves instead of a tank.

It’s not that I don’t run in tank tops sometimes, I certainly do, but I usually save those for the really early morning runs when the sun isn’t totally up or if it’s a more cloudy kind of day.

If my run will be more than an hour, you can be sure I have short sleeves on though!

Wear sunscreen

Okay so even with the short sleeve Run Swiftly shirts, I still need a good quality sunscreen on my face and exposed skin.

We must protect our skin from the harmful rays not just because of the skin cancer risks but to limit the signs of aging!

I have been using this SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense for years now and just bought a new bottle for this summer season. It’s perfect for anytime that you are outdoors but great for running too. Your skin will not break out from wearing it on your face while sweating!

Not all sunscreens are created equal which I talked about at length in my Sunscreen post from way back when.

Here is the sunscreen cheat sheet for you from that post as a summary of what you want/don’t want in your sunscreen.

Wear a Sunvisor

I don’t know how I used to run without a sunvisor! This lululemon sunvisor is extremely comfortable, washes well and blocks the sun from my face. I usually wear a headband underneath it as well to further keep the sweat away from my forehead too.

Sunvisors (or hats) really take a lot of the sun exposure away from the face helping you to stay a bit cooler. I don’t run with sunglasses but I do find that wearing a sunvisor allows my eyes to relax and not squint to see  < – squinting can cause those crow’s feet wrinkles around the eye area. We don’t want that!

Limit sun exposure following my run

This applies for me mainly after long runs in the summer. I learned that I DO NOT do so well sitting by the pool or even the beach after a long run in the hot and humid weather.

My body can only handle so much heat and sun exposure. Too much sun after a hard workout makes me feel dizzy, dehydrated and uncomfortable. If I do happen to go to the beach after a long run, I try to give myself a couple of hours after my run to spend time indoors in the air conditioning and then once outside again, I seek out the shade as much as possible (under an umbrella).

2. My Feet.

Slightly ironic that I started drafting this post last week before I almost hurt my foot! We runners always need to take extra care of our feet but I find this holds even more true in the summer.

Summer means flip-flops, wedges and pretty sandals. While I will never give up my pretty summer shoes, these types of footwear may not always be the best choice.

The less supportive nature of flip-flops and sandals can do a number on our feet and toes, as well as affect our posture causing back pain and other joint pain, all of which may impact how we run the next day or, even worse, cause us to walk weird and risk injury.

I try to wear extremely comfortable flip-flops, choose wedges or heels only when necessary and opt for sneakers when I am doing a lot of leisure walking.

If I am going to the mall, as much as I want to wear my flip-flops, I go with an old pair of running shoes instead. It’s not worth hurting my feet by walking in poorly supportive footwear which may in turn affect/hurt my next run.

I also make sure to rotate the flip-flops and sandals that I wear each day, just like I rotate my running shoes.

Other ways I care for my feet in the summer:

• Coconut Oil – Coconut Oil is the best moisturizer and softens calluses almost immediately. Just slather your feet with coconut oil before bed, put on a good pair of comfy socks that you can sleep in and then take them off in the morning when you wake up. You will notice immediately how soft your feet now are!
• Frequent Pedicures – I do get regular pedicures throughout the year but in the summer, I make sure to really stay on top of those appointments.
• I RARELY Walk Barefoot – You will never see me without shoes on outside unless I am at the beach or have my feet on a lounge chair at the pool. Even at the beach, if I am walking in the sand, most of the time, I have sandals on! I refuse to take a chance that I may step on something dangerous, step wrong because there’s nothing supporting my feet. Walking barefoot (unless indoors on carpeting) can also irritate the skin, the bottoms of your feet and possibly cause calluses and rough spots that wouldn’t necessarily happen had you had shoes on in the first place.

3. Fueling & Hydration.

Pre-Run:

As you know, I almost always have some oatmeal with banana before I run, but it’s the ratios of each that I tend to play with on any given day.

Lately I find that heating up a bowl that contains a higher ratio of mashed banana to a smaller amount of oatmeal until it’s good and soupy works really well for me for quicker warm weather digestion. I also make sure to add a pinch of salt to my oatmeal to help increase my blood volume/retain water a bit better during my run which also helps my low blood pressure, often triggered in the heat.

For Long Runs:

• I can tolerate my Hammer Gels but I take smaller bites at a time because sometimes the heat can mess with my stomach and what I can handle comfortably.
• I leave water outside in case I get thirsty. Most of the time during the year, I do not drink while I run which probably isn’t smart but it’s the truth.

Post-Run:

• Sometimes the heat and humidity can take away our post-run appetite even more than usual but we must make sure to refuel as quickly as possible in order to get our electrolytes back to balanced while also getting a jumpstart on repairing our muscles through protein and carbohydrates.
• I have noticed that after long runs or really hot runs, I cannot tolerate caffeine in coffee and sometimes, decaf bothers me too. This usually only happens in the summer so I try to avoid drinking coffee with my post-run meal. It’s a little hard to do since I am so used to having coffee post-run but I know it’s necessary for me to feel my best. After a few hours and a lot of water, sometimes I can drink some coffee again comfortably.

Water:

Once again, I started this post before the foot doctor told me that I need to be drinking more water to ensure that I am hydrated enough for my activity level (to prevent cramps).

I have been refilling my giant Islanders cup like a champ ever since last week and definitely feel an overall positive difference.

Most people who know me personally are shocked when I can say I don’t drink enough water because I really do drink a lot, in fact, it’s the only beverage I drink (aside from coffee).

But, my activity level really does require more which is something I fail to realize, especially in the summer.

Other Hydration:

• Watermelon is a terrific food source for hydration as it is made up of over 90% water content along with a good balance of important electrolytes. As I have said in the past, I love watermelon for quenching my thirst because water cannot always do it for me!
• I do have Nuun tablets in the house but I honestly don’t love them. If you have a good electrolyte drink that you like, please let me know which it is!

Consider Reading: Electrolytes for Runners: The Definitive Guide

Laura has an ecourse available on mastering your fueling and hydration which looks super informative. I consider registering for her ecourse because as much as we know, we don’t know everything and can always benefit from reading and learning even more about our health, running and nutrition.

Of Possible Interest:

Adjusting To Warm Weather Running

5 Things I Do Everyday To Make Myself A Better Runner

I hope that how I go about surviving summer as a runner encourages you to think about what adjustments you need to make to your summer running routine!

[bctt tweet=”How I Survive Summer as a Runner #summer #running #hydration #summerrunning #fitfluential” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

How do you adjust your running routine in the summer?

Please tell me which water bottle you like to take along with you during the day!

Which sunscreen do you use?

 

 

 

TOL -sunglasses, watermelon & faulty running gear

 

A fresh head of highlights and I feel like a new person. Only thing is, I forgot to do the picture check in the bathroom of the salon to ensure things looked okay and instead did the picture check in the car which wasn’t the smartest idea with my sunglasses on since the lenses are tinted which then tints what I see.

But I always have my sunglasses on so whatever I see through the tinted lenses is how I view everything in life so I suppose this is normal viewing for me.

Prescription sunglasses will cause you to forget that you have sunglasses on your face even when you are indoors until someone thinks they are witty and says, Hey, is it sunny in here? People always think they are funny with their comments but news flash! You aren’t funny. At least not to me. I am not easily amused BUT I am easily annoyed.

Although, I am not easily annoyed this week which is weird since it is my PMS week! I have totally been waiting for my more than usual people annoy me mood to kick in but it just never did for this month. If you need to chat with me, this is your week! I am all ears!

I really like watermelon at room temperature. Like when you first bring your watermelon home from the store and immediately slice it up? That’s my favorite watermelon eating temperature. Apples though, apples need to be cold and crisp. I can’t do room temperature apples unless I am completely desperate and even then, I have rules: only granny smith apples at room temperature. Not that I really eat any other variety of apple anyway, cold or warm.

So yesterday morning I spotted a black pair of Gap Fit capri pants in my running drawer. Why not wear these pants for a change for my run? I never wear them but I don’t remember why I never wear them so let’s just wear them for a change! It’s only 4 miles anyway, what could be so bad?

Oh right, there’s no back zippered pocket. No front pocket either. No pockets at all which meant nowhere to put my key other than my hand. And oh right, these Gap Fit capri pants tend to slide down as I run so now I have to tuck in my shirt to bulk up the waist. Yeah, only 4 miles felt like forever.

Oh and I had the pleasure of holding my lululemon headband along with my key for those 4 miles because this particular headband, for whatever reason, always slides off of my head while I run which is why I NEVER wear it. Go figure I chose to give it a shot the same day I gave the Gap Fit pants a shot. Never again!

But at least the sun was shining! Gosh I really appreciate the early morning sunrises this time of year. It makes up for all of the dreadfully dark (and cold!) winter mornings when I would whimper my way over to the treadmill.

What’s on your workout agenda for today? I am planning to run 8 miles but not so sure on the specific workout during those miles just yet. Have a good one!

[bctt tweet=”thinking out loud #running #watermelon #highlights #thinkingoutloud” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Don’t forget to check out what everyone else is thinking about today 🙂

Where do you put your key when you run?

Which headbands do you wear for your workouts?

Room temperature or chilled fruit? Which do you prefer?

 

What I Ate Wednesday 5.18.16

 

Thank you for your comments on yesterday’s post! I am still working on responding to those and to your emails.

So, hi! How are you this week? Why do I feel like we really haven’t totally chatted? Is it just me? This time of year is so busy on my end that everything is starting to blur. I was in the city all day on Monday for a wonderful work event which threw me off into thinking it wasn’t even Monday but it was Monday. It was ONLY Monday. And the after school hours around here are becoming more than just after school hours, they are feeling like totally new days, as if I didn’t just put in a full day of work and activity.

Anyway! Let’s take a look at what I ate on Sunday rather than have you listen to me ramble on mindlessly…

Breakfast:

I didn’t run on Sunday but I still ate a small breakfast when I first woke up because my stomach needs a little something when I get up in the morning, running or not.

I had my usual half of a banana mashed up into a really small amount of oatmeal along with coffee. A couple hours later (right after a Pure Barre workout), I was ready for what is normally my post-run oatmeal.

We have strawberries in the house right now so I added them to oatmeal along with blueberries, Skoop and almond milk. Served cold.

I also had some watermelon midmorning because water was just not quenching my thirst. This usually happens to me the day after a long run, no matter how I hydrate in the hours following the workout. Watermelon does the trick.

Lunch:

My son requested that we go Chopt again for lunch. I wasn’t overly thrilled with his choice since we all know that I didn’t love my Chopt salad last week but I went along with his request anyway.

I am happy to report that this week’s Chopt salad was much better than last week’s salad! I think they did a better job of chopping this salad, added more of each topping to the mix AND offered me a side of bread. There was no bread offer last time.

Salad ingredients:

• Romaine lettuce and spinach
• tomatoes
• hearts of palm
• roasted beets
• roasted butternut squash
• avocado
• quinoa
• corn

I ordered the lemon tahini on the side again and liked it so much better this week so maybe last week was really just an off day at Chopt.

Dinner:

That Chopt salad really filled me up that come dinner time, I was barely in the mood for my typical dinner food. That’s what happens to me if I eat a big lunch especially when I eat it later than my usual lunch time. I really prefer smaller meals during the day and a bigger meal at dinner because I do not like that overly full feeling as I go about my business during the daytime hours. While the salad doesn’t look that big, it felt big in my stomach for some reason.

So for dinner, I made the sandwich that I usually love to eat for lunch which was a really smart decision.

I call it my omelette sandwich. I cook an omelette with spinach, mushrooms and onions and then place it between two toasted cinnamon raisin Ezekiel slices of bread which are covered with mashed avocado. So ridiculously simple and good.

Dessert:

Lately I have been telling myself to make one of my protein bite/snack ball recipes because I haven’t in forever. We need to have those types of snacks on hand but for some reason, I just kept forgetting to actually take the two minutes to whip them up! Once Lisa shared her snack post the other day, I quickly whipped up a version of my peanut butter and banana protein bites  — I say version because I didn’t check how I originally made them but I am pretty sure it’s extremely similar and I added raisins.

I have been enjoying a few of these bites in the evening along with a diced apple and already made another batch. My son loves them too!

I also want to make my flourless & grain free fudge brownie bites which are made with sweet potatoes. I may play with the recipe a bit so I will let you know if I come up with a new version! I want to try using Skoop’s chocolate flavored plant based nutritional shake in the mix so we will see what happens.

[bctt tweet=”What I Ate on Sunday #WIAW #Chopt #salad #eats #fitfluential #oatmeal” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Click here to see what everyone else is eating today!

Which fresh fruits do you currently have in the house this week?

Do you like to eat a big lunch and a smaller dinner or the other way around?

What was for dinner last night?

when you just need a brownie sundae

 

Every so often, I have a day when I am hungry yet nothing is appealing to me.

Monday was one of those days.

Breakfast is never really my issue. I really like and look forward to a small bowl of oatmeal with banana (plus coffee!) before my run and I always like oatmeal after my run (not pictured).

It was later in the morning, when I was getting really hungry for lunch but wanted nothing in particular, that my issue began. It was almost as if I knew that nothing I was going to eat was going to hit the right spot.

It was a truly annoying feeling actually.

Don’t even ask me how I ended up with a Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burger over a salad with roasted carrots and avocado because I won’t be able to give you a good answer.

Although it was good, it really wasn’t what I wanted and have I mentioned that lately I do not like salads or vegetables for lunch? Yeah, so I don’t know what I was thinking when I prepared this for myself.

 

There was some watermelon in the afternoon but it wasn’t doing it for me.

Lots of colors going on between the watermelon, the pink bowl and my rainbow sweatshirt 🙂

By 3:00 pm, I realized it was only a matter of time before I needed to get to The Cheesecake Factory. I suddenly had the Godiva brownie sundae on my mind as the only food that was going to hit the right spot, satisfying whatever it was that I needed today.

Sometimes I just need a random, serious dessert. I have learned that going with exactly what you want to eat, even if it’s a giant brownie sundae on a random Monday, is the way to go.

So I had dinner at home, just as a pathway to dessert if that makes sense. There was a time in my life where I would skip dinner just to get to dessert but now I am an adult so I try not to do that.

Roasted sweet potato wedges with an omelette plus avocado. I was not in the mood for vegetables!

After dinner at home, we went to the The Cheesecake Factory and I felt like some girl on a mission.

Perfection. Exactly what I needed to feel normal again.

Everyone has their thing and dessert is mine. Had I not gone for exactly what I wanted, I would have eaten everything else in my house trying to satisfy a craving which we all know, never works.

Sometimes, you just need a brownie sundae.

[bctt tweet=”When you just need a brownie sundae #wiaw #brownies #dessert #godiva @cheesecakefactory ” username=”cookiechrunicle”]

Don’t forget to check out what everyone else is eating today!

Favorite dessert from The Cheesecake Factory?

Are you good about honoring your cravings?

Do you ever have days when you are hungry but not in the mood for anything?